Why I Garden

This, my friends, is a big part of the reason I sweat and toil in my garden.  The reward is, when I'm lucky, intoxicatingly glorious results.  It doesn't seem like anything should be so indulgently gorgeous:

The peonies were way too short-lived this year, I think largely because we got a whole lot of rain just when they hit their peak.  These shots were taken a week or so ago, and I'm now looking mournfully at some wilted last stragglers out there.  The roses are starting to fade rapidly, too.  But the lilies are just starting to bloom now, and the next rounds of flowers will soon follow. 

Ah, how I love my summer gardens.